U.S. patent application number 15/223899 was filed with the patent office on 2017-02-02 for prefabricated white chamber structure.
The applicant listed for this patent is SINTECO IMPIANTI S.R.L.. Invention is credited to Attilio MARINONI.
Application Number | 20170030097 15/223899 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 54601892 |
Filed Date | 2017-02-02 |
United States Patent
Application |
20170030097 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
MARINONI; Attilio |
February 2, 2017 |
PREFABRICATED WHITE CHAMBER STRUCTURE
Abstract
A prefabricated white chamber structure is adapted to be
periodically sanified and washed and comprises one or more shop
pre-assembled modules, including all the necessary utility
assemblies and adapted to be re-assembled at a use site.
Inventors: |
MARINONI; Attilio; (Sesto
San Giovanni (MI), IT) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
SINTECO IMPIANTI S.R.L. |
Sesto San Giovanni (MI) |
|
IT |
|
|
Family ID: |
54601892 |
Appl. No.: |
15/223899 |
Filed: |
July 29, 2016 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
F24F 3/161 20130101;
E04H 5/02 20130101 |
International
Class: |
E04H 1/00 20060101
E04H001/00; E04H 5/02 20060101 E04H005/02; B01D 46/02 20060101
B01D046/02; E04B 1/343 20060101 E04B001/343; F28F 13/00 20060101
F28F013/00; B01D 46/00 20060101 B01D046/00; E04H 3/08 20060101
E04H003/08; E04H 1/12 20060101 E04H001/12 |
Foreign Application Data
Date |
Code |
Application Number |
Jul 30, 2015 |
IT |
102015000040455 |
Claims
1. A prefabricated monolithic white chamber structure, for the
food, electronic, pharmaceutic, hospital, medical, optical
industry, comprising one or more shop pre-assembled modules,
including all the necessary utility assemblies and adapted to be
re-assembled at a use site, each said module comprising a
prefabricated pre-insulated floor, perimetrical walls and inner
separating walls, doors and windows, an air delivery plenum chamber
of a laminar flow type and with a plurality of recovering channels,
and an air processing unit arranged on a top of the white chamber,
in a fitting or auxiliary equipment space, characterized in that
said prefabricated pre-insulated floor is made of a stainless steel
sheet metal material, reinforced by steel section members
optionally resin coated, said structure comprises a plurality of
steel frames, all said steel frames being sprayed by a plurality of
high density polyurethane layers forming steam barriers, said walls
comprising a plurality of perimetrical panels forming inner
dividing walls and a ceiling of said white chamber; said panels
being of a double-skin or coating sandwich type with a white
glass-resin inner and outer finishing; each said panel having an
inner part of a polystyrene material, thereby the whole structure
is periodically completely sanifiable and washable.
2. A structure, according to claim 1, characterized in that said
structure comprises a plurality of single-wing doors of a plastic
material with an inspection window, single-wing doors of a plastic
material without inspection window, and perimetrical windows and
shells of a stainless steel material built-in in the structure
floor.
3. A structure, according to claim 1, characterized in that said
air processing unit comprises an air processing construction
including a plurality of polyester panels having rounded corner
portions and being designed for allowing all the inner elements to
be washed; said panels being made of a polyester material with an
associated high thickness thermoacoustic insulating arrangement;
the inner fittings, such as fans, thermoigrometric processing
batteries and filters being mounted and firmly fixed to a stainless
steel frame; said stainless steel frame being anchored to a
galvanized steel framework, outside of the air processing unit, and
being raised from the floor plane; said unit comprising resin
processed surfaces for providing a sealed connection and for
insulating the air processing unit; said air processing unit
comprising moreover air processing unit doors, at each section, for
servicing and inspecting the filters and movable parts; said doors
comprising fixed gaskets of a closed cell type with related
progressive clamping closing handles; the fan chamber access door
including a micro-protecting assembly for switching the fans to an
off condition.
4. A structure, according to claim 1, characterized in that said
air processing unit comprises an environment air intake gate of a
stainless steel material; an outside air intake gate of a stainless
steel material, and an air pre-filtering section; a pre-filtering
section comprising a synthetic G4 recoverable folded cell
pre-filter; a filtering section comprising a plurality of rigid
pocket F7 filters, and a cooling battery section; a stainless
steel/Al or Cu/Al finned pack cooling battery; a Cu/Al finned pack
heating battery section; a delivery air fan section including a
direct transmission centrifugal fan; a delivery absolute filtering
section with H13 absolute filters; a chemical dehumidifying wheel
assembly, a temperature and moisture adjusting assembly including a
temperature and moisture probe, with a channel-like mounting, an
electronic adjuster device for adjusting temperature and moisture
and a temperature probe between the batteries; air delivery and
recovery ducts with a delivery laminar flow including a plurality
of H14 filters arranged in a four assembly panel recovery
environment, including a plurality of stainless steel air recovery
grids.
5. A structure, according to claim 1, characterized in that said
structure comprises moreover a system controlling and adjusting
apparatus mounted at a technical region near the air processing
unit; said controlling and adjusting apparatus comprising a steel
framework for supporting the single user unit driving and
protecting apparatus.
6. A structure, according to claim 1, characterized in that said
structure further comprises a remote selector device for managing
the production, washing, drying and servicing operation steps; a
programmable managing and control electronic system comprising the
following components: a central control unit (PLC); input and
output digital cards for controlling the user assembly operating
conditions and for providing an automatic start; analogic input and
output cards for measuring process variables and controlling
modulating adjusting assemblies.
7. A structure, according to claim 1, characterized in that said
structure comprises moreover a standard temperature adjusting
assembly serving the air processing unit and comprising a cooling
assembly and a post-heating assembly.
8. A structure, according to claim 2, characterized in that said
air processing unit comprises an air processing construction
including a plurality of polyester panels having rounded corner
portions and being designed for allowing all the inner elements to
be washed; said panels being made of a polyester material with an
associated high thickness thermoacoustic insulating arrangement;
the inner fittings, such as fans, thermoigrometric processing
batteries and filters being mounted and firmly fixed to a stainless
steel frame; said stainless steel frame being anchored to a
galvanized steel framework, outside of the air processing unit, and
being raised from the floor plane; said unit comprising resin
processed surfaces for providing a sealed connection and for
insulating the air processing unit; said air processing unit
comprising moreover air processing unit doors, at each section, for
servicing and inspecting the filters and movable parts; said doors
comprising fixed gaskets of a closed cell type with related
progressive clamping closing handles; the fan chamber access door
including a micro-protecting assembly for switching the fans to an
off condition.
Description
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0001] The present invention relates to a prefabricated white
chamber structure.
[0002] The white chamber structure according to the present
invention has been specifically designed for the food industry and
the electronic, pharmaceutical, hospital, medical, optical
fields.
[0003] As is known, a lot of enforcing Rules, mainly with respect
to food safety, compel makers to preserve a desired quality of the
food product by controlling the environmental air quality and
properly managing the temperature and relative humidity or moisture
levels, as well as the pressure difference in the rooms in which
the food processing operations are performed.
[0004] As is further known, a "white chamber" is a temperature,
moisture, and particle concentration controlled room.
[0005] The air purity in the herein disclosed white chambers is
classified by the ISO 14644 and subsequent standards, depending on
a maximum number of particles having a diameter of 0.5 microns
contained in a cubic meter of air.
[0006] The above standard defines the following environmental
classes:
TABLE-US-00001 ISO 3 class max contents of 35 particles/m.sup.3 ISO
4 class max contents of 352 particles/m.sup.3 ISO 5 class max
contents of 3,520 particles/m.sup.3 ISO 6 class max contents of
35,200 particles/m.sup.3 ISO 7 class max contents of 352,000
particles/m.sup.3 ISO 8 class max contents of 3,520,000
particles/m.sup.3 ISO 9 class max contents of 35,200,000
particles/m.sup.3
[0007] The ISO 3 class provides the highest air purity level.
[0008] The class is normally detected in a rest condition, that is
in a finished work environment, in a ready to use condition with
the production machines installed and switched on, but without
operators and products in the working environment.
[0009] The requirements of a white chamber are as follows: [0010] A
filtering of air to be introduced into the working environment by a
progressive system of increasingly efficient filtering barriers, up
to a use of HEPA/ULPA absolute filters, with a minimum picking up
efficiency of H13 99.95%-H14 99.995% (DOS test). [0011] An
overpressure of the working environment or room compared to
adjacent processing rooms, in order to allow the air flow to be
always oriented from the cleanest environment to the progressively
less clean environment. [0012] An environment air flow-rate, that
is the air/hour volumes required to dilute polluting powders and
hold a desired class. The cleaner should be the environment, the
higher will be said volumes/hour. [0013] The air flow within the
processing room is of a conventional/turbulent type (to meet the
ISO 7/ ISO 8 classes). The flow being of a laminar type to meet the
ISO 5 class. [0014] Room cleaning: consists of designing the white
chamber both to provide easily washable surfaces, without zones
holding dirt, and studying the personnel and product movement paths
to prevent the classed zones from being polluted.
[0015] The objective of the white chamber for the food processing
industry, and in a specific case of cutting and/or packaging and
producing rooms, is to protect the air exposed food product from
any risk of pollution, while minimizing its contamination, and
holding constant and improving the end quality of the product while
extending its shelf life.
[0016] In order to achieve a proper protection, without affecting
the overall volume of the room, it would be possible to provide, in
that zone in which the product is maximally exposed to pollution, a
closest protection, the so-called "clean zone", by providing a
laminar flow designed to affect by air the product up to the
packaging of the latter; in this manner, on the product it would be
possible to achieve a cleaning class even better than the ISO 5
class.
[0017] The structures and civil works necessary to assure the
required cleaning, hygienic, safety and quality properties,
currently requested by the market, both in an industrial
environment, for example in making or feeding meats, cuttings,
packagings and in the commercial field, of cutting, packaging, and
selling products on the processing site with variously fed
products, are currently made with long operation times and high
making costs.
[0018] Another drawback of prior structures is that the available
spaces are not always sufficiently large and properly arranged.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0019] The aim of the present invention is to provide such a
prefabricated white chamber structure adapted to be simply and
quickly installed at the user's site without the need of performing
civil works, with an optimized lay-out with respect to the
installing site.
[0020] Within the scope of the above mentioned aim, a main object
of the invention is to provide such a white chamber structure
allowing to improve the environmental conditions and preserve the
ideal thermo-hygrometric conditions for properly performing the
making processes.
[0021] Another object of the present invention is to provide such a
white chamber structure allowing to optimize the system
sanification conditions.
[0022] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide
such a white chamber structure allowing to improve the air quality
at critical processing points susceptible to be subjected to a risk
of pollution.
[0023] Yet another object of the present invention is to provide
such a white chamber structure which, owing to its specifically
designed constructional features, is very reliable and safe in
operation.
[0024] According to one aspect of the present invention, the above
mentioned aim and objects, as well as yet other objects, which will
become more apparent hereinafter, are achieved by a prefabricated
white chamber structure, characterized in that said prefabricated
white chamber structure comprises one or more shop pre-assembled
modules, including all the necessary utility assemblies and adapted
to be re-assembled at a use site.
[0025] Each said module of said structure comprises a prefabricated
floor or flooring, perimetrical walls and inner separating walls,
doors and windows, an air delivery plenum chamber of a laminar flow
type and with a plurality of recovering channels, an air processing
unit built-in in the structure, and arranged on a top of the white
chamber, in a fitting or auxiliary equipment space.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0026] Further characteristics and advantages of the present
invention will become more apparent hereinafter from the following
detailed description of a preferred, though not exclusive,
embodiment of the invention which is illustrated, by way of an
indicative but not limitative example, in the accompanying
drawings, where:
[0027] FIG. 1 is a schematic perspective view of an embodiment of
the prefabricated white chamber structure, according to the present
invention;
[0028] FIG. 2 is a perspective view, partially in a see-through
condition, of the structure of FIG. 1;
[0029] FIG. 3 is a top plan view of the structure shown in FIGS. 1
and 2;
[0030] FIG. 4 is a side elevation view, partially in a see-through
condition, of the subject structure;
[0031] FIG. 5 is a front elevation view of the subject
structure;
[0032] FIG. 6 is a top plan view of the structure shown in FIGS. 4
and 5; and
[0033] FIGS. 7-10 show an example of a possible operating sequence
for broadening the white chamber structure.
DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS
[0034] With reference to the number references of the above
mentioned figures, the prefabricated white chamber structure
according to the present invention, generally indicated by the
reference number 1, comprises one or more shop pre-assembled
modules, including all the necessary utility assemblies and adapted
to be re-assembled at a user site.
[0035] Each said module comprises a prefabricated floor or flooring
(PIF), perimetrical walls and inner separating walls, doors and
windows, an air delivery plenum chamber of a laminar flow type or
Aertex fabric channel and a plurality of recovering channels, and
an air processing unit being arranged on a top of the white
chamber, in a fitting or auxiliary equipment space.
[0036] Said pre-insulated floor (PIF) is made in a making shop and
may be easily transported to the installation site with a very
short installing time.
[0037] Said floor is made of a single structural block which may
have a comparatively large size.
[0038] More specifically, said pre-insulated floor is preferably
made of a stainless steel sheet metal material of a AISI 304L type,
being welded by a TIG welding method, and being fully reinforced by
large size steel section members to provide a highly rigid
construction, and being optionally resin coated or processed.
[0039] All the steel frames are sprayed by a plurality of
polyurethane layers, to provide steam barriers, said polyurethane
being a high density (40 kg/m.sup.3) polyurethane material.
[0040] Preferably, an arrangement of three (or more) draining
points provided with driving siphons and built-in in the flooring
is provided.
[0041] The height of the structure about the supporting plane is of
400 mm.
[0042] The pre-insulated floor is arranged on a supporting
flooring, preferably of a concrete material, perfectly leveled,
with a maximum permitted tolerance of 5 mm.
[0043] The perimetrical panels, constituting the room inner
dividing walls and ceiling, are constituted by sandwich
single-block panels, of a great size without joining connections,
and of a double-skin type with a thickness of about 40/60/100 mm
and with a white glass-resin inner and outer finishing.
[0044] Each said panel having an inner part of a Styrofoam
material, with a 40 kg/m.sup.3 density.
[0045] In the example herein shown, the white chamber comprises
five single-wing doors of a plastic material with an inspection
window, three single-wing doors of a plastic material without
inspection windows, nine perimetrical windows and shells of a
stainless steel material built-in in the structure floor. The
number of doors and windows may be changed depending on the
client's requirements.
[0046] The air processing unit of a 2-star type (constituting the
subject-matter of another patent by the same Applicant), being
indicated by the reference number 2, is made of a construction
including a plurality of polyester panels, having rounded corner
portions and being designed for allowing all the inner elements to
be washed.
[0047] The panels pertaining to the air processing unit are made of
a polyester material with an associated high thickness (60 mm)
thermoacoustic insulating arrangement.
[0048] The inner components or fittings, such as fans,
thermoigrometric processing batteries and filters are mounted and
firmly fixed to a stainless steel frame.
[0049] The above strong stainless steel frame being anchored on a
strong galvanized steel framework, outside of the air processing
unit, and being raised from the floor plane, and providing the
overall processing unit with a desired high strength.
[0050] Said unit comprises moreover resin processed surfaces for
providing the machines with the standard requirements necessary for
providing a sealed connection and for insulating the air processing
unit, with suitable planar surfaces and properly slanted drains,
and with no thermal bridges at all.
[0051] The air processing unit comprises moreover large size air
processing unit doors, at each section, for servicing and
inspecting the filters and movable parts; all the inner components
being adapted to be disassembled through the unit doors. Said doors
comprise a plurality of fixed gaskets of a closed cell type with
related progressive clamping closing handles.
[0052] The fan chamber access door comprises a micro-protecting
assembly for switching the fans to an off condition.
[0053] The air processing unit fittings comprise moreover
differentiated visual pointer pressure gauges (Dwyer), a safety
microswitch for inspection doors, and flow rate calibrating and
throttling gates of a stainless steel material.
[0054] The several units being moreover provided with suitable
perforations, wells and passages necessary for a proper location of
all the probes, drives and electric cables.
[0055] The condensation and washing drains in each air processing
unit section are made with an outlet mouth portion of a stainless
steel material.
[0056] The electric system on board of the machine is so made that
it does not require any additional operation on the machine by
electricians and/or mechanics.
[0057] The air processing unit comprises moreover an environment
air intake gate of a stainless steel material, an outside air
intake gate of a stainless steel material and an air pre-filtering
section.
[0058] Said pre-filtering section comprises a synthetic G4
recoverable folded cell pre-filter, of a 48 mm thickness, being
arranged on an arranging plane, with a gravimetric 90% ASHRAE 52-76
efficiency.
[0059] The air processing unit comprises moreover a filtering
section comprising a plurality of rigid pocket F7 filters and a
cooling battery section.
[0060] Said cooling battery section is a finned pack Cu/Al or
stainless steel/Al cooling battery with a fin pitch to be defined
depending on the requirements, and with a cold water and ethylene
glycol or propylene glycol feeding arrangement (30%) at -6.degree.
C./-2.degree. C.
[0061] The air processing unit comprises moreover a finned pack
Cu/Al heating battery section with a fin pitch to be defined
depending on the requirements and with a hot water feeding
arrangement at a minimum temperature of +40.degree. C./+30.degree.
C.
[0062] Said air processing unit comprises moreover a delivery air
fan section including a direct transmission centrifugal fan of a
"plug-fan" type, made of a painted steel material, with a related
electric motor.
[0063] Said air processing unit comprises moreover a delivery
absolute filtering section with H13 absolute filters.
[0064] In order to achieve relative moisture low values and a
reduced time for drying the chamber at the end of the washing of
said chamber, the machine may also comprise an inner chemical
dehumidifying wheel assembly.
[0065] The air rate on the disclosed batteries has been evaluated
as lower than 2.9 m/s.
[0066] By way of an example, the technical characteristics of a
10,000 mc/h air processing unit, are as follows: [0067] delivery
air flow rate: m.sup.3/h 10,000 [0068] installed electric power: kW
5.5 [0069] refrigerating capability: kW 35 (Frig/h 30,000) [0070]
thermal performance: kW 30/Kcal/h 25,000)
[0071] The air processing unit comprises moreover a temperature and
moisture adjusting assembly including a temperature and moisture
probe, with a temperature and moisture electronic adjusting device
and related adjusting and limit temperature probes.
[0072] The control assemblies are pre-mounted and pre-connected
near the air processing unit.
[0073] The air processing unit comprises moreover air delivery and
recovery ducts, with a delivery laminar flow including a plurality
of H14 filters arranged in a four assembly panel recovery
environment, including a plurality of stainless steel air recovery
grids.
[0074] The white chamber structure comprises an electric panel for
controlling and managing the overall system, being installed at a
technical zone beside the air processing unit.
[0075] The controlling and adjusting apparatus comprises a painted
steel framework being adapted to hold the driving and protecting
apparatus for the single user units, and being made with a desired
protection degree.
[0076] In the main control board are installed the following
components: [0077] a main automatic switch assembly; [0078] an
aerating and air filtering assembly also in said main control panel
or board; [0079] a servicing assembly; [0080] a 400/24 Vac
transformer assembly; [0081] a stabilized 230-124 Vdc power supply
unit; [0082] an inverter [0083] light selectors having three stable
positions for selecting the mode of operation, either automatic or
manual, of the air processing unit.
[0084] The white chamber comprises moreover a remote control device
for managing the production, washing, drying and servicing
operation steps.
[0085] The electronic programmable managing and control system
comprises the following components: [0086] a central control unit
(PLC); [0087] input and output digital cards, for controlling the
user assembly operating conditions and for providing an automatic
start; [0088] analogic input and output cards for measuring process
variables and controlling modulating adjusting assemblies.
[0089] In said control or drive board or panel is moreover
installed an operator panel (of a touch screen type) where it is
possible to set and display the process variables (such as
temperature, environmental moisture, fluid modulating valve opening
rates, servo-controls, gates and alarms).
[0090] The control software is supplied by the Applicant (SINTECO
IMPIANTI S.r.I.) and is programmed according to the user's
production contingent requirements.
[0091] Is herein provided a standard adjusting assembly (for
adjusting hot/cold conditions) serving the air processing unit and
comprising a cooling assembly and a post-heating assembly.
[0092] The assembling, starting and testing of the white chamber
structure are performed by the Applicant (SINTECO IMPIANTI S.r.I.),
who provides assembling or mounting operators for properly locating
the whole prefabricated white chamber.
[0093] At the end of the system assembling and after having
performed the proper hydraulic and electric connections, a skilled
operator from the Applicant (SINTECO IMPIANTI S.r.I.) will be
available for starting and testing the overall system.
[0094] The prefabricated white chamber structure according to the
present invention comprises a series of fittings including, by way
of an example, the following: [0095] a refrigerating assembly,
[0096] a product tray receiving table, [0097] a cutting machine,
[0098] a packaging machine, [0099] a weight selecting machine,
[0100] a personnel vertical cabinet, [0101] a personnel bench,
[0102] disposable material, [0103] a spare coil cabinet, [0104] a
pedal basin, [0105] a knife sterilizer, [0106] a metal detector,
[0107] a refrigerating cell at -10.degree. C. [0108] a stainless
steel bench for packaging the food product, [0109] a refrigerating
cell at +2.degree. C., [0110] recessed LED lights and related
electric system.
[0111] It has been found that the invention fully achieves the
intended aim and objects.
[0112] In fact, the invention has provided a prefabricated modular
white chamber structure allowing to meet the requirements of
specific users, desiring to exploit at a maximum degree the
available spaces, by a novel system providing a ready to use
pre-assembled processing pole, and further including a qualified
after-sales and planned maintenance service.
[0113] The present invention provides a prefabricated white
chamber, of a monolithic and easily transportable type, allowing to
meet, in a very short time, all the requirements related to
cleaning, hygienic, safety and quality characteristics required by
the market, for example for processing and feeding meats, cuttings,
packagings, both in a commercial market, for cutting, packaging,
selling at a given place of processing, with several types of
products.
[0114] In practicing the invention, the materials used, as well as
the contingent size and shapes, can be any, depending on
requirements.
* * * * *